Large Bequest to University Is Tied to Paternity Suit

The University of California at San Francisco could receive as much as $240-million from a trust to be created from the estate of the late Larry L. Hillblom, founder of the delivery service DHL Worldwide Express.

Mr. Hillblom, who died in a seaplane crash in 1995, stated in his will that he wanted the bulk of his estate — valued at about $600-million — to support medical research, primarily at the university.

Officials at the University of California at San Francisco said that the exact amount of the gift remained uncertain pending the outcome of a paternity case on the island of Saipan, where Mr. Hillblom had lived.

Several young women claim that Mr. Hillblom, who never married, is the father of their children. Genetic tests have shown that four of the children have the same father, but further tests are needed to determine whether that person was Mr. Hillblom.

According to a settlement reached last month between lawyers for the estate and for the mothers, as much as $360-million could be parceled out to the four children, with the remaining $240-million to be placed into the trust.

Peter J. Donnici, a lawyer and a friend of Mr. Hillblom’s who has been designated chairman of the Hillblom Trust, said that while the university would be a major beneficiary, other charities would also receive money from the fund.